Executive Director, Jodi Fischer was recently showcased in her alma mater's publication, the University of Denver Magazine. In this piece, you can learn more about the work of Marshall Direct Fund in Pakistan and some of the ways you can get involved. Jodi will be heading back to Pakistan in late Spring 2015 and is happy to bring any of the following wish list items. Please email info@marshalldirectfund.org to learn more. Financial contributions are always welcome and can be made here.

LaptopsBattery time allows staff to communicate and gain access to teaching tools even during the frequent power outages.

Digital or video camerasWould love to better capture student and staff experiences to share with supporters, but to also assist with vocational training module replication.

Cell phones Staff are in need of effectively and regularly communicating with school administrators, parents, and taking photo/videos. Smart phones also welcomed since admin staff would benefit from accessing internet and sharing tools for instruction aids.

Printers (2)Printable worksheets for kids are great tools for teachers.They help to make subjects like reading, writing, math, and science fun and engaging.

Computers (2)Laptops are preferable to deal with the power outages, but these are still welcomed for both staff operations and student learning and for computer literacy programs

UPS Generator (1)Power shortage and load shedding has worsened in the last few years. Often facilities are without electricity for hours, sometimes all day during the hottest months. Uninterrupted Power Supply is detrimental for keeping the lights, fans, and equipment on.

White Boards (10)Many of our classrooms do not currently have chalk or white boards and this would assist tremendously with instruction.

Students Desks (60 3-seaters)Much of our previously donated were used and are over five years old and in disrepair, we also wish to accommodate new admissions.

Projectors (2) Provide teachers and trainers multimedia tools to assist with instruction.**Please note, smaller easily transported items can be donated in the US which can be brought over by our home office staff in spring 2015. If you are located in Pakistan, all donations are welcomed. If you wish to donate financially to ensure the purchase of any of the items, we would also be happy to accept.

We are saddened and concerned about the school attacks in Pakistan winter 2014. Attacking children and their right to education is a disregard of the most fundamental principles of humanity. This occurrence concerns Pakistan as well as the entire world-- education and our children's right to freedom are rights that all people deserve. Our deepest condolences to the families who have lost loved ones. All schools in Pakistan were shut down for a few weeks and we have since had visits by government officials checking to make sure we have school guards and emergency policies and infrastructure in place. We ask the global community to join hands with the Pakistani nation, especially with the victims’ families to help them have the courage to bear the loss. If you would like to strengthen the effort to bring education to children in Pakistan, please consider doing awareness generating in among your network or community. We have an Allies in Action package that provides suggestions. Or consider financially supporting MDF education efforts in Pakistan today: here:https://app.etapestry.com/hosted/MarshallDirectFund/OnlineDonation.html.

Sometimes it takes a hero to notice or be reminded what is important. In a country like Pakistan where girls are systematically disenfranchised, a 14-year-old girl is an unlikely candidate. Malala spoke out on behalf of girls in Pakistan and their right to education. After being hunted down and shot in the head by the Taliban while boarding her school bus on October 9, 2012, she now has the world’s attention.
Malala’s father ran a girls’ school in Swat Valley, a mountainous region with over 1,000,000 residents close to the country’s capital, Islamabad. In 2009, the world watched in horror as the Taliban took over Swat and instituted its gruesome system of law and order. When the Taliban ordered girls’ schools be closed, Malala and her father defied their orders, kept their school open, and courageously defended the right of education for girls. During the terrifying reign of the Taliban, Malala fearlessly blogged her experience for the BBC and was featured in documentaries by The New York Times. I Am Malala is a wonderful book that we highly recommend reading.
As Malala fought for her life in a hospital bed, the world wa reminded of the perilous state of affairs in Pakistan. Predicted to be the world’s fourth most populous country by 2050, Pakistan has over 17 million school-aged children out of school – that means one in ten of the world’s out of school children resides in Pakistan! Public education is inaccessible to most children and when it is accessible much of the curriculum enforces rote learning and a narrow-minded worldviews that fuels negative stereotypes. Private schools are cost-prohibitive to most families of the country as they survive on less than $2 a day. The other alternative, madrassas (religious schools), offer limited knowledge with their focus on religious education. What future lays ahead for the children, particularly the girls of Pakistan?
The fact that Malala was targeted by the Taliban is evidence that they know that education of girls will be their undoing. Since educated girls bring about economic growth faster to a country than any other measure, the unstable, illiterate, impoverished, black market gun-running and drug-smuggling friendly environment extremists thrive in will no longer be available to them when all girls go to school.
At MDF we congratulate Malala on her recent Nobel Peace Prize Award. We are convinced that education, awareness of cultural diversity, and economic empowerment build the groundwork for peace in a region of the world critical to international security. Currently we are the only organization in the Roaring Fork Valley providing education to girls in Pakistan. We are keeping daily tabs on the health of Malala and have great hope for her survival, for her vision to become a reality.
Girls in Pakistan need access to quality education where they are taught multiple subjects, critical thinking, and learn skills to support entry into the workforce so they can overcome conditions of poverty. The Girl Effect is well known in the International Development world but what is needed here is The Malala Effect. Girls in conflict countries are given the least amount of support than any human being on the face of the earth. Investing in girls in conflict countries will do more than just eradicate poverty and illiteracy, it provides an additional return on investment, it helps create peace and stability. For people interested in supporting the dreams of Malala, please consider supporting MDF, we have a scholarship fund specifically for girls. Please visit our website at www.marshalldirectfund.org. Thank you to all of our current donors. You can also donate to the Malala Family Fund that has been set up. You can also join the campaign to save Malala and girls' education.

The 2015 Marshall Direct Fund Summer Fundraiser will take place July 1, 2015 at the home of Terri & Tony Caine in Aspen, Colorado from 5pm to 7:30pm. Dalia Mogahed, author of Who Speaks For Islam?: What a Billion Muslims Really Think, will be our featured guest speaker. This fun evening will include food by European Caterers, cocktails from Woody Creek Distillery, a silent auction, and will receive coverage by Aspen Peak Magazine. To become a sponsor please click here. To RSVP please email info@marshalldirectfund.org today.

New matching opportunity! We still have a lot of funds available for a 50% match through Vocational Training Program on GlobalGiving, courtesy of the Safer World Fund! Each donor can donate up to $1,000 to qualify for the match. Donations will be matched until the funds run out, so be sure to donate soon and encourage others who feel passionate about education to see their donor dollars go far!

A very informative organization called Healthcare-administration-degree.net has put together a great interactive infographic entitled "The Kids Aren't All Right." If you go to http://www.healthcare-administration-degree.net/world/and click on the "Girls Enrolled in School" tab on the right, you'll see something that looks like this:
But don't just read about it here; go to http://www.healthcare-administration-degree.net/world/ and see for yourself how disheartening the statistics of Pakistani girls in schools can be. Thankfully, with your help, Marshall Direct Fund has been able to help many young girls attend school. We currently offer schooling for grades 1-5, but we are aiming to add a new class every year so that children can extend their education beyond 5th grade.

Marshall Direct Fund continues partnership with Aspen Moms for Moms to help share our mission and event information with mothers in the Aspen area!
Aspen Moms for Moms run by local mom, Rachel Goodman, is a hyper-local social network for mothers to connect, share information, find and offer support and be inspired to get involved. Moms can find local events, discounts and deals, items for sale, resources for moms who own their own businesses, and much more. Mothers from pregnancy through grand-motherhood are encouraged to join their free local Moms for Moms site throughout the valley Aspen, Basalt,Carbondale, Glenwood or Rifle. Don't live in these areas? Don't fret, many cities have similar forums. We encourage you to do an online search to find yours. Moms for Moms Communities are building stronger communities by engaging mothers, and we look forward to collaborating with them to foster our mission to improve relations between the West and the Muslim world by working together to alleviate poverty and illiteracy via sustainable educational and economic development in Southwest Asia. It takes a village!

The Marshall Direct Fund is excited to announce our partnership with Teach a Man to Fish, a NGO focused on supporting education initiatives across the developing world. Founded in London in 2006, Teach a Man to Fish began by funding innovative projects that share its mission of financially sustainable education to reduce poverty and unemployment, as well as fostering entrepreneurship.

MDF competed in the School Enterprise Challenge, a business competition to reward entrepreneurship in schools across the globe. This involves submitting a business plan and review of results of student-led enterprises. You can follow MDF's vocational school progress via blog: http://peaceoftheaction.wordpress.com/ The competition distributes over $40,000 in prizes, encourages global partnerships between schools and empowers students with valuable skills to tackle new business endeavors.

MDF Board Member wins Human Rights Award

Pakistani journalist and daughter of former Punjab governor Salmaan Taseer, Shehrbano Taseer, received a Human Rights Award during an annual award dinner in New York City on Saturday, October 22, 2011.

Human Rights First honored Shehrbano “for her courage in carrying out her father’s legacy of religious tolerance.” She has published a series of op-ed pieces calling for change in Pakistan, and has openly criticized those who glorify her father’s murderer, said the press release.